When he’s at home with his family, K-9 Riggs is “an excellent house dog,” according to his two-legged partner, Colorado Springs Police Officer Brock Lofgren. He enjoys belly rubs, wrestling with Lofgren or just hanging out at the house.

On the job, however, the 4-year-old Belgian Malinois is one of the most effective “deescalation tools” in the CSPD’s arsenal, an animal whose mere presence is often enough to make even hardened criminals raise their hands in surrender.

In recent months, the canine crimefighter has been on a streak of sorts. In early June, as part of a multiagency manhunt, Riggs persuaded an escaped Fremont County inmate with a violent criminal history to stop running and turn himself over to law enforcement. Less than a week later, he helped end a one-man crime spree, encouraging the surrender of a man accused of robbing multiple victims in a single Friday afternoon.

Most recently, he was instrumental in the arrest of a man suspected of money laundering and several thefts. Ensconced inside his home as tactical officers gathered outside, the suspect wouldn’t budge. That is, until Riggs showed up.

“The most recent apprehension was a result of having really good teammates,” Lofgren said.

“Riggs hadn’t had a building deployment in awhile. And we were pretty confident that this guy wasn’t going to come out. The lead handler allowed us to take the lead so Riggs could gain some experience.

“Then, after Riggs barked, (the suspect) gave up.”

The Riggs-Lofgren partnership began in March 2023, when Lofgren flew out to Shallow Creek Kennels in Pennsylvania to meet and begin training with the dog. Riggs, who had not yet been named, had undergone six weeks of basic training when Lofgren arrived.

The dog’s name is a nod to the fictional detective Martin Riggs, portrayed by Mel Gibson in four “Lethal Weapon” movies. Lofgren compiled a list of potential names before flying out to Pennsylvania, wisely allowing his wife to pick a handful of monikers she liked.

“I figured I wouldn’t make her live with a dog whose name she hated,” he said.

After meeting the dog who would become his partner, Lofgren decided Riggs was a fitting name.

“I thought it fit, because (like the ‘Lethal Weapon’ character) he’s high-energy, all-out — and a little bit nuts,” Lofgren said.

The six additional weeks of training and bonding, Lofgren said, “was essentially me, catching up to the dog. He already knew what he was doing. I was just trying not to mess him up.”

Lofgren and Riggs then returned to Colorado Springs, where they received intensive instruction at the CSPD Academy, training for 40 hours a week and shadowing experienced K-9s and handlers before they were ready to begin patrolling in August 2023.

“It’s a pretty extensive time frame and process,” Lofgren said.

Belgian Malinois are well suited for police work because they’re trainable, athletic, energetic, and not fearful, according to Lofgren.

“They’re incredibly high-energy and high-drive,” he said. “All they want to do is work. That’s what makes him such a great working dog.”

The vast majority of K-9 deployments end peacefully, Lofgren said.

“That’s been very consistent with the short time I’ve been on the team. I’ve learned some of this from witnessing debriefs and interviews. People who might be willing to fight four or five cops, who aren’t afraid of gas or pepper spray — as soon as the dog shows up, they’re like, ‘Never mind.’”

Other suspects, some of whom are armed, give up because they like animals and would rather submit to an arrest than harm a dog.

“We’ve had people tell us that they didn’t want to put the dog in a situation where it might be hurt,” Lofgren said. “We’ve been told that a dog presence was the reason a suspect didn’t shoot at us.”

A peaceful surrender, he said, is the entire point.

“The best-case scenario is if people give up. That way, everybody wins; nobody was hurt, no force was used, and the suspect is in custody. And that’s a win for the dog, too, to see their effectiveness.”

One of CSPD’s eight dual-purpose K-9s, Riggs has developed a “really good on-off switch,” easily transitioning from working dog to family pet, according to Lofgren.

“At home, he’s a big baby. He just wants to hang out with me and my wife, and be part of the family. He’s good at recognizing that he’s not at work.

“That being said, by the time our last day off rolls around, I’m ready to get back to work, because he’s got so much energy, it gets to be a little much.”